However, there
was no help for it, and I endeavoured to calm his fears as well as I
could; 'For,' said I, 'you can't live here, Peterkin;' to which he
replied,' Of course not, Jack, I can only die here, and as that's not
at all desirable, you had better propose something.' So I suggested
that he should take a good long breath, and trust himself to me.
"'Might we not make a large bag of cocoa-nut cloth, into which I could
shove my head, and tie it tight round my neck?' he asked with a haggard
smile. 'It might let me get one breath under water!'
"'No use,' said I, 'it would fill in a moment and suffocate you. I see
nothing for it, Peterkin, if you really can't keep your breath so long,
but to let me knock you down, and carry you out while in a state of
insensibility.'
"But Peterkin didn't relish this idea. He seemed to fear that I would
not be able to measure the exact force of the blow, and might, on the
one hand, hit him so softly as to render a second or third blow
necessary, which would be very uncomfortable; or, on the other hand,
give him such a smash as would entirely spoil his figure-head, or
mayhap knock the life out of him altogether! At last I got him
persuaded to try to hold his breath, and commit himself to me; so he
agreed, and down we went. But I had not got half-way through, when he
began to struggle and kick like a wild bull, burst from my grasp, and
hit against the roof of the tunnel.
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